Double Bastard Ale | Arrogant Brewing

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Notes / Commercial Description:
First release: November 1998
Originally brewed to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Arrogant Bastard Ale, Double Bastard Ale debuted in November 1998 as an amped-up version of that already aggressive beer. A huge malt bill and an unreasonable amount of hops make this ale one that will be appreciated by only a few, and that’s just fine with us. We didn’t brew this dark amber monster to please anyone other than ourselves.

Appearance is amber red, with a fairly minimal head. There's a big nose, a combination of sweet caramel and hops. The taste is complex, but hops and bitterness dominate the taste. It's just slightly sweet in the taste, enough to make it interesting, but not enough to compete with the bitterness. The ABV is not particularly noticeable, but that might be because the hops are strong enough that who has time to notice the ABV?

This beer is about midway between a classic hoppy barleywine and a conventional strong ale. What I mean is that a strong ale is something you can drink, while a barleywine is usually just a sipper. This one is tempting to drink, not just to sip a bit, but then all that bitterness makes me hold back.

one of my favorite strong ales. Darkish red almost brown in color with about a quarter inch head. Smells of sweet bready malts that are immediately followed by piney citric hops. The taste follows the nose well with a big hit of bitterness followed by a fairly big hit of malts. overall a very nice big bear that is very well crafted

Pours a very hazy dark red amber with almost no head. Smells of citrus, tons of hops, tropical fruits, and malts. Tastes of bitter hops, citrus zest, topical fruits, a great malt backbone, spices, and alcohol. Medium-high body with medium carbonation. Overall this is a delicious and intense beer.

From a 650ml bottle served at 14 degrees Celsius into a snifter. Bottled on 15.10.2016 – aged for 9+ months in the bottle.

Look: The beer pours a clear light brown with red highlights topped by 4cm of dense, creamy, tan head which dissipates into a craggy cap in 3+ minutes. Such impressive head for the hefty 11% ABV. Fine-looking beer indeed.

Taste: Strong and bitter – a punch in your mouth, just the way I like it. Rich, complex and follows the aroma seamlessly. Notes of caramel, dark fruit (raisins), resinous pine, and citrus (grapefruit). The finish is long, strong, and bitter with a touch of minerality.

Overall: Big, bold, and aggressive – I absolutely love it. I had the whole bomber to myself and I feel like I could do another one just because it's that delicious. A wonderful brew displaying excellent craftsmanship. Beer doesn't get much better than this for me.